Who we are
Constitutive General Assembly of A.FASD Alliance
Thursday, April 6, 2023 at Antananarivo, Madagascar
Presence : Dr Leana Olivier (FARR), Pr Berenice Roy-Doray (University of La Réunion), Dr Meïssa Nekaa (CHU of La Réunion), Ms Chantal Cola (SAF Oi Madagascar), Mr Bruno Dugay (DUMA Foundation), Dr Thierry Maillard ( SAF Indian Ocean)
Excused : Ms. Vahinisoa Rasamoely (ASPE), Dr. Miarintsoa Andriamiarinarivo (SAF Mada), Dr. Erna Athanasius (Early Childhood Intervention Center), Mr. Leste Gilbert (Etoile d’Espérance), Pr Oscar Garcia Algar (EUFASD)
Agenda
– Constitution
– Board vote
– Next conference location
– Financing
– Communication
Introduction by Dr Thierry Maillard, founding member of EUFASD Alliance
If FASD represents 190,000 children every year in the world, Africa is mobilizing a little more every day in the face of less discreet female alcoholism and still a strong ignorance of the risks during pregnancy.
The impact of alcohol on fetal health and social outcomes later in life is enormous, placing a huge economic burden on countries. Prevention of prenatal alcohol exposure and early identification of affected individuals should be a global public health priority.
Svetlana Popova, 2021
FASD is likely a widely occurring and largely unrecognized neurodevelopmental disability in Africa. A key future direction for global agencies and research partnerships is to collaboratively address evidence gaps and knowledge translation through scalable approaches and strategies that aim to ameliorate the burden of FASD in African and other countries.
Colleen M Adnams, 2017
Africa is not spared by this major alcoholism which is a public health problem in many of them (see appendix). It seems important to us to pool the dynamism in each African country to build together the prevention of tomorrow.
The high prevalence of alcohol consumption and binge drinking during pregnancy in some African countries calls for education campaigns, screening and targeted interventions for women of childbearing age.
Tropical Medicine and International Health, 2016
For this, we propose to initiate reflection, around an Alcohol and Pregnancy conference, on Thursday April 6, 2023, in Antananarivo, bringing together experts from this continent and professionals from Madagascar.
This conference was proposed by the Foundation for Alcohol and Related Research (FARR), led by Dr Leana Olivier and SAF Indien Ocean, chaired by Dr Thierry Maillard. It benefited from the support, in Magagascar, of the Ministry of Health, carried by Ofnalat and the Ministry of Justice accompanied by ASPE and was financed by WHO Africa and the French Embassy in Madagascar and indirectly by many partners including Europe.
– Constitution
It was decided, this day, to create an African Alliance for the prevention of FASD, led by SAF Indian Ocean. This one passes the torch, at the end of the year to the FARR, in the hand of Dr. Leana Olivier.
-Objective :
Bring together researchers, professionals, service providers, policy makers and NGOs related to FASD in Africa to share their knowledge, expertise and promote collaborations.
The organization of a conference every 2 years in an African country (and close countries in Indian Ocean)
Presentations will focus on African experiences as much as possible.
Associations funded by the alcohol industry are not accepted.
– Board vote
The CA is represented by all those present (see above)
The office will be formed at a next CA meeting (in visio)
Dr. Thierry Maillard is the interim president
– Location of the next conference
It was proposed and agreed to hold the next conference in Cape Town, South Africa, around October 2025, under the leadership of FARR.
– Financing
Currently no other funding has been requested
The conference did not make any money but it was carried by SAF Ocean Indien
We bet that the next conference will obtain partnerships and revenue
Registration for the Alliance is 50 € a year
It is subject to modification during the establishment of the rules of procedure.
All present have paid
This covered the costs of the constituent GA meeting
Balance to date = € 0 or ZAR 0
We are waiting for the end of the regulations of the 1st conference for a more precise accounting.
– Communication
The Alliance has a website https://afasd.org
And an AFASD Facebook page
Currently led by SAF Indian Ocean
It currently contains the abstracts of the previous A.FASD 2023 conference.
ANNEX
